2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Southeast Region
22
Ranked Colleges
116
Degrees Awarded
$30,700
Avg Cost*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southeast Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Area Studies is the 115th most popular major in the country with 6,257 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. In , area studies graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $33,127 and had an average of $22,500 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Southeast region, there were 879 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,290 and $18,497 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 116 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $55,462 and $43,311 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southeast Region” ranking analyzed 22 colleges that offered a degree in area studies. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in area studies.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Area Studies Schools
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southeast Region” list to help you make the college decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southeast Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region master’s degree area studies students.
Top 22 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Southeast Region
Out of the 22 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Arkansas State University - Main Campus landed the #1 spot on the list. Jonesboro, Arkansas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s area studies degrees to 4 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at A-State
Out of the 22 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #2 spot on the list. Duke University is a fairly large school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 8 masters’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.
Full Duke University Area Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend William & Mary. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southeast Region. Located in Williamsburg, Virginia, this medium-sized public school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified masters’s area studies students in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at William & Mary
Out of the 22 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Mississippi landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in University, Mississippi, and it awarded 9 masters’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Ole Miss Area Studies Report
Out of the 22 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Kennesaw State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Kennesaw State University is located in Kennesaw, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2 masters’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at KSU Georgia
University of North Carolina at Charlotte ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southeast Region list. This large school is located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and it awarded 5 masters’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full UNC Charlotte Area Studies Report
Tulane University of Louisiana ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southeast Region list. New Orleans, Louisiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s area studies degrees to 16 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Area Studies at Tulane University of Louisiana
Florida International University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southeast Region ranking. FIU is a public institution located in Miami, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 17 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Florida International University
Appalachian State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Boone, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s area studies degrees to 6 students in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Appalachian State University
With a ranking of #10, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southeast Region list. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s area studies degrees to 6 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read full report on Area Studies at University of Virginia
The University of Alabama landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Tuscaloosa, Alabama is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s area studies degrees to 3 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full UA Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #12, University of Florida did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southeast Region list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school awarded 14 degrees to qualified masters’s area studies students in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at University of Florida
Georgia State University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Atlanta, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s area studies degrees to 1 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Georgia State
University of Miami ranked #14 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southeast Region list. University of Miami is a fairly large school located in Coral Gables, Florida that handed out 4 masters’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at University of Miami
George Mason University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southeast Region ranking. GMU is located in Fairfax, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 3 masters’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at George Mason University
With a ranking of #16, East Tennessee State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southeast Region list. East Tennessee State University is located in Johnson City, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2 masters’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full ETSU Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #17, Vanderbilt University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southeast Region list. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 4 masters’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Vanderbilt University Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #18, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southeast Region list. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a large school located in Tampa, Florida that handed out 2 masters’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Area Studies Report
Florida State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Florida State is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 5 masters’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Florida State University
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 184 diplomas to qualified masters’s area studies students in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at UNC Chapel Hill
Shepherd University ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southeast Region list. Shepherd University is a public institution located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Shepherd University
Emory University ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southeast Region list. Emory is located in Atlanta, Georgia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 34 masters’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Emory Area Studies Report
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
